The system will be placed under my desk which is in my living room, so I really need for it to be as quiet as possible. Size doesn't matter too much but I would like an ATX or microATX case.

I plan to dual-boot Windows 8.1 (for the gaming part and file server part) and Windows Server 2012 R2 (for the lab part).

I am thinking of the following components and am very interested in hearing your thoughts:

Case: Antec Solo IINotes: The SPCR review is very favourable but I am open to other suggestions. Initially I cnonsidered the Silverstone TJ08-E but it seems there are mixed feelings about the noise level of its 200mm fan. USB 3.0 ports on the front are mandatory but most cases do have these nowadays.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570Notes: I need a CPU with a reasonably low TDP and support for SLAT (Hyper-V VM's require this). My understanding based on other threads is that it is not worth looking at the -S i5's because even the non-S ones can be cooled quietly

PSU: Seasonic X-400?Notes: I would prefer a fanless one if feasible, but my understanding is that many other Seasonic PSU's actually turn off the fan under low load. Also, it must be modular to keep the cable mess to a minimum.

RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 4x8 GB PC3-12800?Notes: I am sure 32 GB RAM may seem like an outrageous amount if only intended for gaming, but since I will be running a lot of VM's at the same time this seems reasonable. In addition, my understanding is that 32 GB is the highest amount addressable by non-Xeon CPU's. According to http://www.legitreviews.com/crucial-bal ... eview_2138 these sticks are only 25.5 mm tall which should should comfortably fit under the Mugen 4 according to this thread: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=67033

Motherboard: MSI H87-G43?Notes: I'm not planning on overclocking or anything (so Intel Z87 is not required), but I would like a mobo with a UEFI BIOS and good fan control without the need for additional software. My impression from other forum posts is that MSI does a good job in this regard.

System SSD: Here I have a Samsung 830 256 GB SSD which I intend on reusing as the boot disk with 2 partitions (one Windows 8.1, one Windows Server 2012 R2)

Extra SSD: Corsair Force Series GS 360 GB?Notes: This will be used to host VHD files for the lab VM's - high IOPS and good random write speeds are required, and I am open to suggestions

Bulk storage: 2x Western Digital Red 4 TB

I would greatly appreciate any feedback you could provide. Do ask if you need clarification on anything!

Initially I cnonsidered the Silverstone TJ08-E but it seems there are mixed feelings about the noise level of its 200mm fan.

The Silverstone 180mm fan has its detractors but could be swapped if needed. If however you like the Silverstone designs and MicroATX then they have now got the PS09 which is intended for silence:http://silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=453&area=enIt is narrow so you would need to keep the CPU cooler height down I think.

Case: Antec Solo IINotes: The SPCR review is very favourable but I am open to other suggestions. Initially I cnonsidered the Silverstone TJ08-E but it seems there are mixed feelings about the noise level of its 200mm fan. USB 3.0 ports on the front are mandatory but most cases do have these nowadays.

PSU: Seasonic X-400?Notes: I would prefer a fanless one if feasible, but my understanding is that many other Seasonic PSU's actually turn off the fan under low load. Also, it must be modular to keep the cable mess to a minimum.

Like a lot the combo, same as my HTPC build, as long as the seasonic x400 doesnt whine it should be a pretty good choice for both components. Just as comment, the only thing that i don't like on the SOLO II is the cable management, there is not enough space on the back, still you have space below the hdd cage where you can hide some, but still you need to put some effort even with a modular PSU.

wordofphil wrote:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570Notes: I need a CPU with a reasonably low TDP and support for SLAT (Hyper-V VM's require this). My understanding based on other threads is that it is not worth looking at the -S i5's because even the non-S ones can be cooled quietly

Not much to say here, MSI seems to be the best GTX750ti in terms of noise.

wordofphil wrote:

RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 4x8 GB PC3-12800?Notes: I am sure 32 GB RAM may seem like an outrageous amount if only intended for gaming, but since I will be running a lot of VM's at the same time this seems reasonable. In addition, my understanding is that 32 GB is the highest amount addressable by non-Xeon CPU's. According to http://www.legitreviews.com/crucial-bal ... eview_2138 these sticks are only 25.5 mm tall which should should comfortably fit under the Mugen 4 according to this thread: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=67033

Im running 32gb of crucial ballistic but the sport low voltage 1.35 volts, and been perfect, i heard good things about the tactical, either you should be a good choice for low profile memory.

wordofphil wrote:

System SSD: Here I have a Samsung 830 256 GB SSD which I intend on reusing as the boot disk with 2 partitions (one Windows 8.1, one Windows Server 2012 R2)

Extra SSD: Corsair Force Series GS 360 GB?Notes: This will be used to host VHD files for the lab VM's - high IOPS and good random write speeds are required, and I am open to suggestions

Reviewed by SPCR and came out well, since you going with the SOLO II i would suspend them both on the hdd cage to get the least noise.

wordofphil wrote:

Motherboard: MSI H87-G43?Notes: I'm not planning on overclocking or anything (so Intel Z87 is not required), but I would like a mobo with a UEFI BIOS and good fan control without the need for additional software. My impression from other forum posts is that MSI does a good job in this regard

MSI is a solid choice for controlling the fans on pure bios, as long as you chose proper fans and PWM splitter. I have MSI Z87 on my gaming desktop and im controlling all PWM fans with the two real PWM fan headers (CPU_FAN1 and CPU_FAN2) one for the CPU fan and the other with PWM splitter to control 4x NF-A14 PWM, all is working really well on pure bios. Since you are going with the Mugen4, im going to suggest you go with 3x Scythe Glide Stream 120mm x 25mm PWM Fan - 600 ~ 1900 RPM (SY1225HB12SH-P) they are relatively cheap and have a good range of control on PWM control, use a PWM Female to 4 x PWM Male Computer Case Fan Splitter Power Connector Black Sleeved Adapter Cable to connect all 3 of them to the CPU_FAN2 header, and connect the fan on the Mugen4 to the CPU_FAN1 header, then just enter the bios and set the temps and % and test it, really easy to setup.

Unfortunately the Glide Stream fans are not readily available where I live - can you recommend some other fans? Reading the "recommended fans" article here on SPCR, no single fan really highlights itself as the ideal low-RPM front case fan. Maybe just some more Antec TrueQuiet 120mm fans?

CA_Steve: Thanks for the tip, I might be able to do with less disk space if using deduplication. Anandtech's tool does not show IOPS numbers but the specs list approx 100,000 IOPS vs. 90,000 for the Corsair - thanks for the tip!

Regarding disk placement, I could also mount both 3.5" drives in the elastic mounts in the case, use the last one with grommets for one SSD and put the last SSD in the dedicated 2.5" slot. Any pros/cons to that approach?

Playing devil's advocate - if you are that close to filling the SSD up, maybe the larger size is better. Performance consistency tends to get wonky on a full drive..unless you overprovision. Might be worth reading Anandtech's newer SSD reviews on this.

Unfortunately the Glide Stream fans are not readily available where I live - can you recommend some other fans? Reading the "recommended fans" article here on SPCR, no single fan really highlights itself as the ideal low-RPM front case fan. Maybe just some more Antec TrueQuiet 120mm fans?

Well I chose MSI for bios fan control but purely for PWM fans, i have not tested the voltage regulated CHA_FAN headers at all, so my suggestions suggestions goes with that in mind, that said i think you should check CA_Steve signature, in his build he did tested some fans on Chasis fan headers, where i think mentions a 50% limitation (the real PWM fan headers can be dropped to 12.5% on pure bios).

Read the following Fan Roundup #6: Scythe, Noiseblocker, Antec, Nexus, Thermalright, in there you will find 3 of the best 120mm fan even compared to each other, Noiseblocker M12-S1, Scythe Gentle Typhoon 800rpm and Nexus Basic 120, all three are very viable, but to control them on pure bios, you will have to accept the 50% limitation of the MSI bios on chassis fan headers. As a bonus in the same review they also reviewed the Antec True Quiet 120 that didnt do so well, so one review should clear a lot into your choices =).

Here is a graph of my NF-S12A ran on PWM fan header on Asus Maximus VI Gene on FanXpert2, for you to see the range of operation on PWM control,

Now on the MSI mobo comes with 12.5% as the minium, and the next is 25%. If you set 12.5% they might or not run, i have not tested it, they might though, but they probably might not report the rpms, they should be at below 200rpms at this PWM %. If you set 25% on the bios they should close to 400rpms, where they should be still inaudible, but play around with the bios settings, its pretty easy to do.

wordofphil wrote:

Regarding disk placement, I could also mount both 3.5" drives in the elastic mounts in the case, use the last one with grommets for one SSD and put the last SSD in the dedicated 2.5" slot. Any pros/cons to that approach?

I really dont remember much about my build when i unpack it, from the vague recollaction i still have, the 2 rubber suspension come in between the 3 hdd trays, weather there is enough space to keep the tray (for the ssd) and have a 3.5 mechanical suspended i dont know.

Excellent, thanks so much! I almost have a complete revised parts list ready and hope to post it soon

Regarding the PSU, I noticed that Corsair's RM450 is much cheaper (approx. 40%) than the Seasonic X-400 and has very favourable reviews here on the forums. Would I be silly to take these savings and go for the Corsair instead? (I am also a bit concerned about the rumours that some Seasonic PSU's have some electrical whine).

Regarding the PSU, I noticed that Corsair's RM450 is much cheaper (approx. 40%) than the Seasonic X-400 and has very favourable reviews here on the forums. Would I be silly to take these savings and go for the Corsair instead? (I am also a bit concerned about the rumours that some Seasonic PSU's have some electrical whine).

To me fanless excels whenever your system is fully fanless, but having one fan or more then to me a semi passive PSU is better, as it will have a way to cool itself in case it needs to.

Now on Corsair RM450, i have no direct experience, and should be enough for your system, from the reviews that i seen, it seems like a good PSU, but its gold certified and not fully jap caps, while seasonic is platinum and jap caps and among the best components on the market. I own a X400 (gold certified) and has been perfect, no issues for couple of years on my HTPC, but i have read on the platinum series more comments about coil whining than most others, specially over Corsair RM series that recently entered the market. That said, if i were buying today, i would still pick a seasonic out my personal experience with them, but at the same time i feel the RM450 would it a fine job, and being semi passive would be better imo for a setup that might be stress down with your triple purpose.

Is there a non-fanless Seasonic PSU like the X-650 but with lower wattage? 650W is way overkill for this system Also, is it safe to assume that it supports Haswell CPU's (C6/C7 states etc.)?

Super Flower Golden Silent/Kingwin STR-500/Rosewill SilentNight.

They are actually fanless: in the U.S.A. the OP should look for Kingwin Lazer Platinum, out of the U.S.A. for the SuperFlower Golden King or Leadex Platinum (to be fair Lazer Gold and Leadex Gold may also compare well against Seasonic KM3).

However, I think he wanted to stick with the same Seasonic platform (for some unknown reason: there is no noticeable efficiency gain or better sound profile in a fanned smaller X unit, and the SuperFlower is equally good or even better than the Seasonic KM3 platform), so the answer is no, there is no more lower wattage Seasonic unit in that line, but he might look for some old X-560 still on the shelves (I guess they are pricey now).

I live in Denmark, so I guess the Super Flower would be easiest to get. The Super Flower Golden Green HX 80Plus Gold SF-550P14XE is available here and even cheaper than the Corsair RM450!

I have no problems using a fanless PSU if there is no real risk that it will overheat (e.g. while gaming), but Abula makes a valid point as a PSU with fan can always spin it up if necessary and be silent when not...

I guess my PSU choice for this system boils down to the best combination of the following factors:- Noise- Risk of overheating (with/without fan)- Price

Hmm, so apparently the Antec Solo II is impossible to get where I live... Any suggestions for quiet alternatives?

There is nothing exactly comparable to the Solo (particularly for the HDDs suspensions), but there are a lot of silence-oriented cases around: the Fractal Define series (R4, Mini, XL), the Nanoxia Deep-Silence series, the NZXT H2-series, the Cooler Master Silencio-series, the Corsair Obsidian 550D, the Antec P183V3, P280 and P100, and (I'm sure) many others. You will find a lot on them in the relevant SPCR reviews section.

Reading discussions here on the forums about the Fractal Design R4 I might consider buying that instead. It also counts positively that both you guys, CA_Steve and Abula, use this case I'm a bit worried that its panels are too thin to absorb as much noise as the Antec Solo II, and there doesn't seem to be any fancy HDD mounting features for vibration reduction. The stock fans would also need to be replaced, probably with Antec TrueQuiet ones.

I do have two rubber-band mounting constructions for 5.25" bays that can hold the two HDD's to reduce vibrations though.

I also quite like the P183V3 but just like in the Fractal R4 I am particularly concerned about my fanless Seasonic PSU being placed down in the bottom of the case with less airflow - would this be a risk?

Fractal design define R4 is a well design case, really a joy to work with, the cable management is very good, the quality is good, although I do feel Antec are more solid built, the side panel of the R4 are fine and weight a lot, the flimsy pars are more the bottom with so many holes and somewhat the top, but not much.

I own both, r4 and the solo II, both are good cases, the solo things that I dislike are virtually no space for cable management, it can work out fine if you put a little more effort, the top is not filtered, but not a big deal either, you can add a Demi filter if you like. I also don't like the piano finish, way to delicate with dust.

I would go with the solo if you want or need to quiet more mechanical hdds, if this don't matter to you, or if your hdd aren't that noisy without needing the suspension, then I would go with the R4.

But personally, I'm waiting for silverstone ft05, I really wat to build horizontal and not have to worry about mounting a prolimatech mk26 and it's weight. I also had a very good experience with my tj08e, so having twin 180 is something that I want to try out, but this is more of a hobby for me, I have no complains or need to change the R4.

They are not bad fans, over 600rpms they are defently audible still not bad, its more a wosh because of the frontal mesh/grill of the TJ08-E, but with a FanXpert2 mobo they can be drop off below 500rpms, where only a very quiet environment (like 3am on my home) i can notice it if i focus on hearing it, but by this im not saying they are SPCR standard fans, for sure a fan like Antec true Quiet 140 is miles away in terms of tone and quietness (until now my personal standard on a quiet fan), but at the same time the airflow it provides is much higher, so its tradeoffs. Even SPCR Lawrance like the fan on the SilverStone Temjin TJ08-E: MicroATX Evolved, quoting from it,

Quote:

The Temjin TJ08-E ships with a single 18 cm 3-pin Air Penetrator fan with the model number "S1803212HN-3M" which is the same fan included with the Sugo SG07. It has a top speed of ~1200 RPM and a power rating of 0.45 amps (5.4W). Its acoustic character is reasonably good with a smooth profile at lower speeds. It also has a slight hum that becomes more pronounced at medium speed but is drowned out by air turbulence at higher speeds.

Powered by a full 12V, the low speed setting is disappointing, measuring an unacceptable 27 [email protected] (equivalent to 7V at the high speed setting). We recommend using the low setting combined with some kind of voltage control, either via your motherboard or a dedicated fan control device. 9V~10V is a good starting range depending on the other components in the system.

The FanXpert2 is an ideal setup for this, as it drops it to 460rpms, but i seen others able to get closer to 400rpms, but below 500rpms imo its pretty good, and still viable for high end setup,

The problem for me was that i had issues with my Asus Maximus VI gene (some audio and pauses), so decided to move on, but i did get slightly better temps on both GPU and CPU on it than on my R4. Atm my 4770K if stressed fully it can reach 80C, so there is no room for overclocking, but thinking on moving toward Haswell E 8 core, being a 130W TDP CPU, might need a little more cooling or might not, depends on how intel does their paste or soldering of the cpu, but having twin 180s..... should be a pretty nice setup for cooling, even SLI setup that its my goal down the road with 4k monitor.

The only thing i have not decided yet is if im going to trust Asus or not for the motherboard, MSI has been really good for me, specially the PWM Bios fan control has been superb with Noctua PWM fans, but i do find the CHA_FAN headers limitations very high, 50%.... the AP182 have a 2000rpm limit, so even with the 50% they wont drop below 1000rpms, where they will still be loud, but the AP182 come with dials to control the voltage, so my hope is finding a position where the 50% + dial will net me 500rpms, if i cant achieve this for example the starting voltage, then ill have to go into an Asus mobo. I'm still thinking buying a AP182 just to test with FanXpert2 and also with my current MSI mobo, so i can get a better picture into what to expect with the FT05.

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